“Change happens fast and you need to adapt or be left behind.”
ADAMA is one of the top seven crop protection companies globally, generating over four billion dollars in annual turnover across 100 countries, and employing 9,000 people. By providing solutions to combat weeds, insects and diseases, it allows farmers to do what they do best: feed the world. “Although we have a long-standing tradition as a chemical company, we’re conscious of our environmental responsibility and are continuously working to develop biological alternatives, supported by both our own R&D capabilities and those of our parent company, Syngenta,” says Helawi Mengistu, HR Strategic Business Partner for Northern Europe at ADAMA.
The agricultural sector is certainly very different from Helawi Mengistu’s previous line of work – at a data centre company – but he has no regrets about joining ADAMA in 2023. “Our company has a long heritage of developing unique and effective formulations, and all our customers love us and our products,” he says. “That passion is reflected within ADAMA itself, where many employees come from an agricultural background and often have their own farms.” We caught up with him to hear more about how the company is adapting in line with its challenges and ambitions.
What’s going on in the agricultural sector, and how are the trends affecting your business in the Benelux region?
The biggest trend – not just in the agricultural sector, but everywhere – is the growing focus on the environment and sustainability. Various governments are tightening legislation and banning certain ingredients. The global regulatory landscape is very fragmented, adding extra complexity to our formulation planning. Within the agricultural sector itself, farmers – especially younger ones – are becoming more conscious of spraying responsibly. To meet the needs of future generations and shoulder our own environmental responsibility, while also remaining compliant with all regulations, we are continuously developing alternatives, including biologicals.
How are your R&D activities progressing?
Within ADAMA, we have state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing capabilities, and a unique toolbox of active ingredients. This gives us the flexibility to create innovative formulations tailored to local farmer needs. And a couple of years ago we became part of one of the world’s biggest agricultural companies: Syngenta. Having access to their manufacturing, supply and R&D expertise is beneficial for our ongoing product development and registration activities, both at EU level and locally, including in the Benelux.
In such a complex and competitive landscape, how does ADAMA gain an edge over other industry players?
Although we’re not a small company, we are significantly smaller than many of our competitors. To set ourselves apart, we emphasise the human connection. Our promise to ‘listen, learn, deliver’ invites customers to talk to us, so we can understand their challenges and provide high-quality, relevant products to solve them. We’re continuously exploring how technological advancements can give us an edge. Right now, we’re investigating ways to use AI to monitor market developments such as shifts in customer buying patterns. Better predictability of short-term and longer-term demand helps keep us ahead of the curve by improving our alignment with customers’ needs.
You’re currently hiring a new Key Account Manager for the Netherlands. How will that person contribute to achieving ADAMA Benelux’s goals?
ADAMA’s primary goal is to grow market share by 15% in EMEA as a whole. As part of the commercial unit for Northern Europe, the Benelux office – and especially the Key Account Manager Netherlands – will play a vital role by generating local growth. That requires more than simply selling our products; our key account managers create value to drive demand. Rather than suppliers, they are strategic partners who help distributors and farmers navigate the market challenges. Additionally, we rely on key account managers to identify gaps that we can translate into competitive opportunities for future success. This involves collaborating with colleagues across the internal organisation – from Marketing to support new product launches and host demos for farmers, to Finance and Supply Chain to optimise budgets and planning.
Which ‘must-have’ skills or characteristics are you looking for in prospective candidates?
As a commercial role, it’s essential to be a relationship builder who excels at forming strong and lasting connections. The candidate should preferably have an agricultural background, or at least a strong affinity with farming. Our in-house technical experts advise customers on how to use our crop protection products, but the Key Account Manager must feel at home in this down-to-earth and fairly conservative sector. Even when things are going well, we know that change happens fast and you need to adapt or be left behind. That’s why we’re looking for someone who can navigate the sector’s conservatism while pushing boundaries and trying new things. They will think outside the box and generate ideas for advancing our business, driven by a genuine hunger for success. Strong communicators in both Dutch and English are also necessary for working with our international colleagues in the UK, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Describe ADAMA’s company culture for us. What makes you unique as an employer?
ADAMA has grown largely through acquisitions, and each office initially retained its own culture and way of working. To improve consistency, productivity, efficiency and engagement, we’re now defining and rolling out a unified corporate culture throughout the organisation. That culture revolves around working autonomously within a clear framework, with the freedom to anticipate problems and use creativity to solve them. In fact, we believe creativity is so vital to our company’s agility that we intentionally nurture it among our employees. As an extension of this, we measure performance based on output rather than hours worked, giving people the flexibility to manage their work-life balance. And although farming is traditionally a male-dominated sector, we place a high value on diversity and inclusion.
Looking to the future, what are the longer-term prospects for the new Key Account Manager?
We provide tailored training and professional support for all our employees. This role is part of our succession planning, so there are excellent long-term opportunities for the candidate who possesses the right drive and strength of character.
Are you hungry to play a part in achieving the ambitious growth goals within this creative and people-focused organisation? Check out the Key Account Manager vacancy at ADAMA Benelux.
